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Lynsey Lou's

Enjoying Life One Bite at a Time!

Secret Recipe Club

SRC:Mixed Berry Smoothie

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I am a sucker for smoothies.  I love that they are super quick and easy to assemble, and that they are the perfect snack or meal to have in your hand on the way out the door.  They are easily customizable and something delicious can be made from pretty much any ingredients you have on hand.

Along with being packed with a variety of fruit, smoothies can also be a great way to get those veggie servings too.  Adding spinach or kale is a great way to amp up the veggie power and, honestly, it doesn’t alter the taste of that delicious smoothie.  Combine some berries, yogurt, even a bit of protein powder and then toss in some of the green stuff and you’ll have a nutritious and filling meal or afternoon pick-me-up.

So when I came across this berry smoothie from Turnips 2 Tangerines, I knew I had to make it.  But, the decision didn’t come easy, I guarantee.  From the Mexican coffee, Dulce De Leche Krispy Treats, to the cinnamon swirl bread and let’s not forget about the sour dough blueberry muffins my mouth was watering, to say the least.  But, since I’m always looking for quick and easy snacks and meals both for myself and my little guy, I knew I had to make this smoothie.

And can I just say I’m so glad I did.  This smoothie hit the spot, and I’m not sure who was more excited about it, me or Tucker.  It was sweet, tart, and filling.  I also added a handful of spinach for a little more nutrients, but it didn’t affect the flavor or texture of the smoothie.  We’ve had this particular smoothie several times since I first made it and I’m sure we’ll have it several more!

Mixed Berry Smoothie

Ingredients:
2 Cups frozen mixed berries, I used blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
1 Cup Greek yogurt, plain or flavored
1 Cup apple juice
1/2 Cup loosely packed spinach
Protein powder, if desired
Honey, if desired

Directions:


Combine berries, yogurt, juice, spinach and protein powder in the blender.  Pulse until all ingredients are incorporated and mixture is smooth.  Taste, add honey if desired and serve.

Recipe source: barely adapted from Turnips 2 Tangerines

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SRC: Sally Lunn Batter Bread

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I am a bread loving, carb craving fool.  The more fluffy the bread the better.  What puts it over the top?  Well, warm bread schmeard with a dab of good butter.  There’s nothing better in my book.  I love bread of all kinds, but I’m a sucker for homemade.  The stuff that is buttery, slightly sweet, and oh-so-fluffy.  Who is with me?

One person that’s with me for sure is Renee, of Kudo’s Kitchen by Renee, my assignment for this month’s Secret Recipe Club    Renee is fun, full of life and energy and that all comes through no only in the look of her blog but in her stories she tells.  She is a fun-loving wife, mom (to two grown sons as well as a few fur babies), cook, baker, blogger and artist.  Her passion is being in the kitchen, art and blogging which is evident in her blog.  She loves trying new recipes, and always has.  Her blog is a combination of a variety of foods; quick fix snacks and appetizers, main courses, delicious desserts, breads, and a various array of other items.  If you are in need of some yummy recipes, beautiful artwork, stories of animals, or just something to brighten up your day you must head over to her blog and have a browse!

But, back to this bread.  Renee deemed this bread as her best friend.  Calling this bread “one yeasty chick that has it all going on”.  All I did was see the picture and read the title and I was sold, her description of the bread was only bonus points for my yeast loving, bread craving self.  It wasn’t a second later that I was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of this amazing looking bread.  And folks, can I just tell you that Renee was right on all accounts.  This bread is amazing and will definitely be scarfed up the moment it comes from the oven! 

Enjoyed fresh from the oven it’s out of this world.  Heated with a smidge of butter, delicious.  Used to make French toast (or even stuffed French toast)- Shut The Front Door!  Oh my goodness, no matter how you use this bread, just be sure you make some and keep this recipe in your back pocket when you need an amazing and fail-proof buttery bread.

Sally Lunn Batter Bread

Ingredients:


1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast
1/2 Cup warm water
Small pinch sugar
1 Cup warm milk
1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 Cup sugar
2 Tsp salt
3 Eggs
5 1/2-6 Cups flour

Directions:


Combine yeast, warm water and sugar in a small bowl and allow the yeast to proof, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine milk, butter, sugar, salt and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Using a wooden spoon, or the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, mix to combine the ingredients.  If using an electric mixer, switch to the dough hook.  Add the yeast mixture along with 3 cups of flour and mix to combine.  Slowly add the remaining flour, half a cup at a time, and continue kneading until the mixture is soft and not sticky.  Once that consistency is reached, knead for an additional minute.  Remove to a large, well oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat and cover with a towel.  Allow to rise in a warm place for an hour, until doubled in size.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down and knead a few times and transfer to a tube pan that has been coated in non-stick cooking spray.  Place the dough, evenly in the prepared pan.  Cover and allow to rise another hour, until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place the pan with the risen dough in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.  Allow to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Recipe source: Kudo’s Kitchen by Renee, originally from Taste of Home:Recipes Across America

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SRC: Chocolate Chip Granola

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It’s no surprise that we are a granola loving family.  It’s one of those items I love having on hand at all times.  It’s perfect to top yogurt, accompany cereal, have a delicious parfait or just a quick and easy snack on the go.  More times than not you can guarantee I have a bag in my purse for those times I need a quick pick-me-up while I’m running errands.

Granola is so easy to make and it’s so much fun to customize.  I’ve made various types of granola from white chocolate cranberry, tropical, and even a simple brown sugar version and they have all been amazing.  The flavors and tastes can easily be changed by adding different fruits and nuts to the mix.  Granola is also one of those items that is fun to get the kids involved with too.  It’s just a matter of combining and stirring a few different ingredients, pouring them on a baking sheet and popping them in the oven for a few minutes.  When it’s all said and done you’ve got a delicious snack that the kids will love and they’ll be so proud because they helped make it.


So when it came time for this month’s secret recipe club assignment, I was perusing Erin’s blog, our table for seven, and I came across her recipe for chocolate granola and I instantly knew what I wanted to make.  This combines two of my favorite things; granola and chocolate.  Yum!  This is a girl after my own heart; Erin and her family sound about like me and my family, we both are addicted to granola…and chocolate.

Erin is a fun-loving wife and mother of 5.  She is an incredibly strong woman who grew up with 4 siblings, has a large family, loves cooking and photography.  She has her hands full with 5 kids so she knows how important it is to be able to make a healthy meal that can please 5 kiddos and her husband and she also knows that it needs to be done quickly.  Quick, easy and healthy is the name of the game; with a few splurges here and there.  She has an abundance of tempting and mouthwatering recipes on her blog that I can’t wait to try.  I tried my best not to go for the granola for the swap, but it just looked and sounded so good I just couldn’t help myself!  So be sure to head on over to Erin’s blog and check her and her recipes out!

Chocolate Chip Granola

Ingredients:


3 Cups rolled oats
2 1/2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Cup almonds, roughly chopped
1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3/4 Cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 325.  Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Place oats, brown sugar, salt, and almonds in a bowl and toss to combine.

Place honey and vegetable oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 25-30 seconds, until honey is thin. Stir and pour over the oat mixture.  Stir the mixture to ensure all the ingredients are covered in the honey mixture.  Spread on the prepared baking sheet and place in the preheated oven and bake until golden and the oats start to get crunchy, about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to sit, untouched for about 5 minutes.  Once the mixture has cooled slightly, using a spatula, gently move the granola around to ensure it hasn’t stuck to the pan.

Allow the mixture to cool completely, gently transfer to a bowl and add the chocolate chips and toss gently to incorporate.

*This method allows some of the granola to form little chunks, which I love.  If you prefer a granola without chunks then stir the mixture throughout the baking process.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Our Table for Seven

SRC: Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl

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Banana bread has always been a favorite of mine.  Whether enjoying a piece warmed up and schmeared with butter at my grandma’s house, a warm muffin fresh from the oven or a big ol’ slice of cake topped with cream cheese frosting; every time I have a piece I’m transported back to my childhood.

It’s definitely hard to beat a delicious piece of basic banana bread, but I enjoy trying different varieties.  Brown butter banana strawberry bread, caramel almond oatmeal banana bread, brown butter banana muffins with streusel topping; I’m a huge fan of pretty much anything involving bananas. 

So when I came across a recipe for banana bread with a Nutella swirl on Sarah’s blog, Curious Cuisiniere, I knew I had to make this bread.  My love for banana bread is closely followed for my love of Nutella.  So to see my two loves come together was like the food gods telling me I had to make this and now.

Sarah is a girl after my own heart.  She loves being in the kitchen and has a passion for food.  You can honestly tell that although a hobby, food and cooking is definitely where her heart is.  She and her husband love to travel and she enjoys not only trying the local cuisine but drawing inspiration from the food she tries.  I was so happy I got her blog for this month’s The Secret Recipe Club.

She has a variety of different recipes on her blog all varying from different ethnicity’s, cultures and regions.  She enjoys pushing her limits and comforts as well as getting back to her husband’s roots by cooking food that is native to his families culture.  I thoroughly enjoyed reading her blog, and while a variety of recipes jumped out at me, her banana Nutella bread won in the end.

We loved this bread.  Not only did the banana flavor really shine, but the Nutella flavor was there as well, without overpowering the banana.  The bread was moist, fluffy and full of banana and Nutella flavor.  It’s definitely the best warm from the oven with a bit of butter, but a quick spin in the microwave is just as delicious too.  This bread is terrific for breakfast, but is also great as a mid afternoon snack or would make a wonderful base for a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich!

SRC: Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl

Ingredients:


2 1/3 Cup flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup sugar
2 Medium ripe bananas, roughly mashed
1/3 Cup milk
1 Tsp vanilla
2 Eggs
1/4 Cup Nutella

Directions:


Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl, beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the bananas and mix until incorporated.  Add the eggs, milk and vanilla and beat to combine.  Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.

Remove a third of the batter and transfer to a small bowl.  Add Nutella and mix to combine. 

Pour half the banana batter in the prepared pan and spread in an even layer.  Spoon the Nutella banana mixture over batter.  Using a knife, gently swirl the batters together, being sure not to over mix.  Spoon the remaining banana batter over the Nutella mixture.  Gently swirl the banana and Nutella batters together. 

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Remove from oven and immediately transfer the bread from the pan to the cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Recipe source: Barely adapted from Curious Cuisiniere

SRC: Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

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The Secret Recipe Club took the month of December off in order to allow everyone to enjoy the Christmas season and time with family and friends.  As much as I needed that down time I must say, I couldn’t wait for reveal day to come.  I received my January assignment in November, so I’ve been checking out page after page of delicious recipes over at The Spiffy Cookie.  Do you know how many times one can change their mind in a month?  A lot!

Erin is the genius behind The Spiffy Cookie.  She just recently completed her PhD in microbiology, so along with being spiffy, she’s also one smart cookie!  When she’s not hard at it in the books or labs, she’s busy in the kitchen.  Food is her love, passion and outlet.  And like me, her favorite foods are baked goods!  I’ve been in love with Erin’s blog for quite some time now, so when I found out I had it for this month’s exchange I was beyond ecstatic.  Now came the hard part; trying to determine exactly what to make to share with you all.  Meyer lemon curd cupcakes, peanut butter cup oatmeal cookies, Nutella chunk cookies, german chocolate brownies, strawberry-banana colada smoothie, and the list goes on and on…those are just a tiny glimpse into what she’s got on her blog and this doesn’t even begin to cover the savory and main dishes.  I’m telling you folks, she’s got it all which made my decision quite difficult.

After looking through numerous recipes I decided to get my boys to weigh in on the options.  With Tucker, it was a no brainer, he wanted sweet.  So I named off a few and when I said peanut butter cookies loaded with Reese’s Pieces; well Spencer was sold.  He’s a lover of peanut butter anything, so give him a fresh peanut butter cookie straight from the oven and he’ll be in heaven.

These cookies not only met our expectations, they exceeded them.  These cookies are definitely whoppers.  They are huge, I mean we’re talking about 1/4 of a cup of dough for each cookie.  Now that’s a cookie folks.  Cookies of this magnitude won’t leave you feeling then need for one or two more; one will be more than enough.  And these, well they’re not your typical peanut butter cookie.  They are cookies with a base of butter, sugars and the “magic ingredient” a peanut butter spread mixture.  Then that perfectly peanut buttery dough is loaded with even more peanut butter in the form of Reese’s Pieces candies.  I mean, a true peanut butter lover’s dream, right?  I had a taste, or two, of the dough before I decided I needed to plop it on the pan in order to avoid getting spoon and finishing the entire bowl!  These cookies bake up to be thick, chewy, full of peanut butter flavor with Reese’s candies in each bite.  These cookies would definitely make your kids happy if they found one or two packed in their lunch box.  But let’s face it, they’d bring a smile to anyone’s face. So bake up some smiles!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

3 Cups flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp salt
1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup packed brown sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tsp vanilla
Peanut butter spread, recipe follows
2 Cups Reese’s Pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.  Set aside.

Place butter and both sugars in the bowl and beat on high until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the vanilla and peanut butter spread and mix to incorporate.  Add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, and mix on low to combine.  Add the Reese’s and fold in with a wooden spoon or spatula until evenly distributed. 

Using a cookie scoop that is about 1/4 cup, or using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the dough and place it on the prepared cookie sheet, leaving about 2 1/2 inches between each cookie.  Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 11 minutes, being sure not to over bake.  Allow to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For the peanut butter spread-
1 Cup crunchy peanut butter, creamy can be used if desired
1/2 Stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 Cup honey

Directions:
Place peanut butter, butter and honey in a medium bowl and beat on high until all ingredients are well combined.  Set aside.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from The Spiffy Cookie who adapted it from Elle’s New England Kitchen

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Honey Roasted Peanut Brittle

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It’s October, we haven’t even celebrated Halloween yet but when you walk into pretty much any store you would place bets that Thanksgiving had come and gone and Christmas was well on its way.  Isles start getting flooded with Christmas dรฉcor earlier and earlier each year.  The crazy thing is, people are buying the stuff, getting ready to deck the halls.  Since people are buying the dรฉcor there’s no doubt they are starting to plan their candies, cookies and other food and menus for the holidays.  I’ve already seen the popcorn tins full of various flavored popcorns, barks and other candies. 

One of the most popular candies and edible gifts during Christmas is brittle.  I see individually wrapped pieces at cash registers and all size buckets that are delivered to corporations.  While I’m not trying to rush through Halloween and Thanksgiving I am looking forward to the goodies that are associated with the holiday season and I to enjoy a piece or two of peanut brittle during the holidays.  So when I came across this recipe on Life and Kitchen, my secret recipe club assignment for this month, I decided to get the candy making started!


Lindsay is a girl after my own heart, not just because we share the same name!  But because she loves the brittle but she tends to agree that brittle with just plain ol’ peanuts can tend to be a little bland.  So she decided to amp up the flavors a bit by using honey roasted peanuts.  With this substitution not only to you get the rich, buttery caramel flavor of the brittle but you also get another depth of flavor from the honey roasted peanuts.  I decided to use a combination of honey roasted and dry roasted peanuts with salt; allowing the honey roasted to add their flavor and the salted ones to help cut through the sweetness.  Let me tell ya, those honey roasted ones did the trick.  They provided another layer and depth of flavor to the brittle without overpowering that delicious, buttery, crunchy caramel layer that holds all those delicious nuts. 

If you intend on making candy this year for gifts for the neighbors, parties or just to snack on then take a note from Lindsay and use some honey roasted peanuts.  Need more ideas for those upcoming holiday gatherings, or for snacks and meals in general?  Be sure to head over to Life and Kitchen, she’s got a variety of mouthwatering recipes that range from breakfast, snacks, main courses, candy and everything in between.  One of the many things I’ll be making very soon, her  warm buttermilk apple pie.  My mouth was watering over that pie and I can’t get it out of my mind!

Honey Roasted Peanut Brittle

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 Cup water
3/4 Cup light corn syrup
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
1/4 Tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 Tsp vanilla
1 3/4 Cup honey roasted peanuts
1/4 Cup dry roasted peanuts with salt

Directions:

Rub a 9×13 pan with the butter and set aside.

Place sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Secure a candy thermometer to the side of the pan, increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.  Allow the mixture to boil, without stirring, until the thermometer reads 260.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add salt and butter and allow to cook until the thermometer registers 295.  Add baking soda and vanilla and stir to combine.  Be careful because the mixture will bubble and foam up.  Stir in the peanuts and immediately pour onto the prepared baking sheet.  Allow to set until cooled and hardened.

Break the peanut brittle into pieces.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe source: barely adapted from Life and Kitchen who adapted it from Bon Appetit

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SRC: Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Pancakes

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When I was browsing through Making Miracles, my Secret Recipe Club assignment for this month, I was torn.  Do I make sweet? Savory? Breakfast? Lunch/supper?  Which way do I want to go?  I browsed through many of her recipes that sounded amazing; cinnamon roll cake, carrot cake cinnamon rolls, slow cooker balsamic beef dip sandwiches, slow cooker brown sugar and garlic chicken, caramel nougat bar peanut butter cookies, or big, fat, chewy chocolate chip cookies.  I could go on and one, but I won’t.

There were so many options to choose from and they all sounded delicious.  I was leaning more towards the cookies, since I’m a sucker for a hot, chewy cookies, but my little man had some say-so in the decision and in the end he always wins.  He wanted breakfast food, pancakes to be exact.  So we decided to go with Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Pancakes.  These are a favorite of Rebekah and her family, so I knew we couldn’t go wrong with these pancakes.

We love breakfast food in our house.  Not only do we enjoy it in the mornings, but we’ll also have breakfast for supper from time to time.  Sometimes I’ll jazz things up and we’ll have quiche, breakfast burritos or huevos rancheros.  Other times I’ll keep it a little more traditional; biscuits and gravy, pancakes, eggs, bacon, and the list goes on.  We’ve definitely enjoyed our fair share of pancakes; traditional, blueberry, pumpkin, brown butter just to name a few.  While I love the flavored variety, I do enjoy a good ol’ basic pancake.

That’s exactly what I got when I made these pancakes.  Just a basic pancake full of buttery flavor.  These pancakes were everything I love about a pancake.  Light and fluffy on the inside, golden outside with a slight crunch around the edges.  The texture was perfect.  The flavor was spot on too; buttery and slightly sweet.  Both Spencer and myself enjoyed them, but the true seal of approval came from Tucker.  He LOVED them.  He started talking about just how much he liked the outside of them; the texture and crunch.  A true food critic and he’s only 3 1/2!  These were a hit in our house and I know they’ll be enjoyed at your breakfast table!

Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbsp cake flour
1/2 Tsp salt
3 Tbsp baking powder
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Cups milk
2 Large eggs
3 Tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp butter, melted plus more for the pan

Directions:

In a large bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar.  Stir to combine and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine milk, eggs and vanilla and stir to combine.  Once ingredients are combined, add to the dry ingredients and stir gently to incorporate.  Add the melted butter to the batter and stir gently until just combined.

Place a skillet, or griddle, over medium-low heat.  Grease the griddle with the extra butter and scoop 1/4 cup portions of batter on the greased pan.  Cook until bubbles start to form in the batter, then flip and cook an additional 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes, until golden brown. 

Top with butter and serve with your choice of pancake syrup or maple syrup.

Recipe source: The Pioneer Woman

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SRC: Chocolate Chip Muffins

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For this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was assigned Chocolate and Chillies.  With a blog name like chocolate and chillies I knew this blog had to be full of both savory and sweet recipes that were sure to please.  Asiya is a Canadian native who is a full-time stay at home mom raising two precious little boys.  She’s a girl after my own heart; one whose passion and love is baking.  Knowing that her family couldn’t shouldn’t live on sweets alone, she started cooking meals for her family and has now found herself adventurous and trying new recipes not only baking, but cooking too.  Asiya’s blog is packed full of a variety of recipes, a lot with Indian influence, and they all look and sound amazing.  I looked through one page after another, after another trying to determine exactly what I was going to make for this month’s challenge.  Should I choose savory? Sweet? Breakfast? Lunch or Supper? Or dessert?  Decisions, decisions. 

I finally decided to make breakfast.  I am always looking for different options to make for Tucker during the weekday mornings.  I like to give him a variety so he doesn’t get burned out on the same ol’ thing day after day.  So with this in mind I looked through the recipe archive one more time and that’s when I saw it.  Chocolate chip muffins.  Tucker loves muffins and he loves chocolate.  This muffin was made for him.  Plus it accomplishes my need for something quick to make for him before we head out the door in the mornings.  Heat up one of these muffins, slice up a banana and a tall glass of milk and you’ve got a quick and easy breakfast. 

Muffins are so simple to make and take no time.  They are easy enough they can be made in about 20 minutes, which is completely doable for a weekday morning.  However, they can also be made in advance and either stored in an airtight container or individually wrapped and placed in the freezer.  They are so versatile too; there are literally thousands of recipes out there both sweet and savory.  So there’s sure to be a muffin out there to please literally everyone!

Now I know these muffins aren’t screaming “I’m healthy”, but I think it’s okay to serve up something like these chocolate chip muffins from time to time.  Whether it’s to switch things up, making it through the first week of school or just a fun weekend breakfast.  Fun and a bit unhealthy are just fine, in moderation! 

These muffins are so good.  They have a slight crunch on top followed by perfectly fluffy and airy centers, all of this with the perfect amount of mini chocolate chips speckled throughout.  These muffins have a wonderful flavor; slightly sweet with a little molasses flavor from the brown sugar all followed by the soft semi-sweet chocolate chips.  This is the perfect way to start out your day; something quick, easy and a touch of chocolate.  Heat this up and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee and welcome whatever the day has to throw at you!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 Cups + 2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup milk
1/3 Cup canola oil
1 Egg
1 Tsp vanilla
3/4 Cup mini chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.  Line a muffin tin with liners, lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine milk, canola oil, egg and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Once ingredients are combined add the flour, both sugars, salt and baking powder and whisk until just incorporated.  Add the mini chocolate chips and stir to incorporate.  Once ingredients are combined, fill the prepared muffin tins 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup).  Place in preheated oven and bake until the outer edges begin to turn golden and centers are set, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and transfer to cooling racks.

Recipe source: adapted from Chocolate and Chillies originally from All Recipes

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SRC: No-Knead Bread

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Bread, glorious bread.  I have a weakness for this stuff.  I love everything about it.  There’s nothing better than a hot piece of bread, straight from the oven that’s shmeared with a little butter.  Simple yet oh. so. good!  Probably the thing that intrigues me the most is watching very few, basic ingredients come together, double in size, bake and then what comes out of the oven is a delicious, buttery and fluffy bread.  It’s like magic.  Even better, I get to create that magic each and every. single. time I bake bread.  I love it.  I love the entire process, especially the kneading.  There’s just something about taking that raw dough in your hands, kneading it to the perfect consistency and texture, it’s relaxing and almost therapeutic. 

As much as I love the whole kneading process, I’m intrigued by no-knead breads.  Since kneading is such an essential process of bread making, it fascinates me that a delicious and fluffy bread can be made with no kneading required.  Is it possible?  I was skeptical, but I’m a believer now.  Thanks to this month’s secret recipe club I found a tried and true recipe that I just had to try.

For this month’s secret recipe club I was assigned K & K Test Kitchen.  Now, since I joined SRC I’ve eyed K & K Test Kitchen.  Not only is it a blog filled with recipes that will make your mouth water just reading about them, but I think my favorite part about this particular blog are the writers.  Kelsey and Kim are a mother-daughter duo that enjoy cooking; both trying new recipes (either  their own or one they came across in a cookbook, magazine or on the ol’ web) as well as those tried and true family favorites.  The blog, that was started as a way to pass the time is now so much more than that.  The blog is filled with classics, basics, as well as the occasional rest recipe or two.  One thing is common throughout all the recipes on their site, each recipe features common ingredients that are typically located in your pantry or fridge, ensuring that you won’t have to make a run to Timbuckto to get an ingredient.  As I browsed through their site, one thing after another jumped out at me. (side note-don’t browse through their site while you’re hungry.  If you do you’ll end up coating your arem in chocolate and gnawing it off).  From sweets like caramel peanut popcorn (you know I’m a sucker for sweet and salty), to flatbread pizzas and freezer jam, they have something on their site for everyone.  My decision was rather hard this month, but after much debate I finally decided on their no-knead bread for this month’s challenge, but with all intent to re-visit the above mentioned recipes and then some.

Can I just say how happy I was that I made this bread?  It’s delicious.  The process is incredibly easy, and requires very little work.  The rising process is the most time consuming part of this recipe, requiring an initial resting period of about 18 hours.  But let me tell you, it’s worth the wait!  The bread has a thick, crunchy exterior while yielding a fluffy, springy and perfectly moist interior.  This is the type of bread that dreams are made of, people.  It’s beautiful while rustic.  The flavor is simple, yet amazing.  This bread is the perfect thing to accompany any family dinner, or to just make and enjoy itself.  It’s life changing, I promise.  We enjoyed this bread for the first time with a delicious roasted chicken and vegetables, and used it to soak up every last ounce of the lemon sauce.  But I promise, this bread will be making regular appearances at our table.  So good!   

No-Knead Bread

Ingredients:

3 Cups bread flour
1/4 Tsp dry yeast
1 1/4 Tsp salt
1 5/8 Cups water

Directions:

In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt and stir to combine.  Add the water and stir until blended and incorporated, the dough will be a bit sticky.  Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rest for 12 to 18 hours at room temperature. 

The dough is ready when the top is dotted with bubbles.  Lightly flour a clean work surface and turn dough onto it.  Sprinkle the top with flour and fold the dough over on itself twice.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Turn dough back out on a lightly floured surface and gently shape dough into a ball.  Generously coat a cotton towel with flour and put dough seamed side down on the prepared towel, lightly dust the top with more flour and gently cover with another towel.  Allow the dough to rise for an additional 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Half an hour before the dough is ready, preheat oven to 450.  Place an enamel coated cast iron in the oven while preheating.  When the dough is ready, carefully remove pot from the oven and lightly drizzle the bottom of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Slide your hand under the towel and turn dough over into the pot, seam side up.  Slightly shake the pan, if needed, to reshape.  Cover with lid and return to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, remove lid and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes.  Remove from pan and allow to cool on rack.

Recipe source: As seen on K & K Test Kitchen, originally from New York Times

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SRC: Chocolate Macadamia Spread

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Nutella has been and still seems to be all the rage.  I, for one, am a huge fan of nutella; but there are some people out there that just don’t care for it.  Whether it’s the texture, lack of love for hazlenuts or something else, Nutella isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  So I was so excited to find a new alternative to the ever so popular chocolate hazelnut spread for this months secret recipe club.  

This month for the secret recipe club I was assigned 84th & 3rd, a blog filled with too many drool-worthy recipes to name.  84th & 3rd was founded and continues to be written by JJ; an Aussie who was born and raised in America and now lives in Sydney.  JJ is a lover of all things food, and more so all things chocolate (as am I).  She has a passion for cooking, baking and eating food and loves to experiment and develop new recipes.  Looking through her blog, there is no shortage of delicious recipes.  It’s page after page of one amazing recipe after another, definitely making it a difficult decision process for this month’s exchange.  After looking through her blog for quite some time, I finally decided to make her chocolate macadamia spread.

This spread is just as easy to make as my homemade nutella.  It’s just a matter of combining a few ingredients in the food processor, pulsing and making a smooth and creamy spread.  This spread is absolutely amazing; a rich chocolate flavor accompanied by the taste of those delicious macadamia nuts.  It’s perfect on a spoon right out of the jar, but can also be enjoyed on toast, bread, crepes, with peanut butter on a sandwich or however you desire.  This stuff is definitely addictive, and the perfect option for all of you who wish there was something else other than Nutella.  Now you have an alternative, you can substitute this spread in all those recipes that normally call for Nutella!  So what are you waiting for?  Go make a batch and start a new craze!       

Chocolate Macadamia Spread

Ingredients:

180 Grams raw macadamia nuts, about 1 1/4 Cups
1/4 Tsp sea salt
1/4 Cup cocoa powder
1/4 Cup rice syrup, panela or rapadura sugar

Directions:

Place macadamia nuts, salt and sugar in a food processor and pulse several times until smooth. 

Add cocoa powder, stir gently and then pulse in food processor to incorporate.

Place in an airtight container and store int he refrigerator.

Recipe source: 84th & 3rd

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